Team Sky rider Elia Viviani was once again able to capture a stage victory at this year's Tour of Austria, taking the win on Stage 3 in Altheim.
Stage 3 took the peloton 226 kilometers from the town of Wieselberg to Altheim in north-central Austria.
An early three-rider breakaway, made up of past Tour of Austria overall winner Jan Tratnik (CCC Sprandi Polkowice), Maximilian Hammerle (Vorarlberg), and Peter Kusztor (Adbul Quddus-BMC), took off from the start, but were eventually reeled in by the peloton 66 kilometers from the finish. Not long after the initial breakaway group was caught by the peloton, a new group of three made an attack off the front of the pack.
The leader in the mountains classification Stephan Rabitsch (Felbermayr-Simplon-WELS), along with Vorarlberg riders Patrick Jager and Gian Friesecke, took their opportunity to create a gap from the rest of the field in the field with 60 kilometers remaining. Rabitsch was able to capture the mountains classification points on the climb up to Schnaidt, while eleven more riders began to break off from the peloton. The breakaway groups were eventually caught by the peloton inside 35 kilometers remaining on the stage, but the peloton began to break up once again on the final climb to Altheim.
Ultimately, Viviana was able to sprint to a stage victory in Altheim after the grueling 226 kilometer stage, beating out Jason Lowndes (Israel Academy) and Sep Vanmarcke (Cannondale-Drapac).
Sep Vanmarcke will remain in the yellow leaders jersey for the Cannondale-Drapac team after finishing 3rd at the sprint finish on Stage 3. Vanmarcke holds an 11 second lead over Andrea Vendrame (Androni Giacattoli-Sidermec) and a 14 second lead of Stephan Rabitsch in the general classification standings after Stage 3.
Elia Viviani will claim the leaders jersey in the point classification after his sprint victory on Stage 3, while Stephan Rabitsch will retain his lead in the mountains classification.
Team Dimension Data will keep their lead in the team classification after Stage 3.
Stage 4 will depart from Austria's fourth-largest city, Salzburg, and take the peloton 71 kilometers to the mountains before they face a final 12 kilometer-long climb of 900 meters up the Kitzbuheler Horn.
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